METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR COMMUNICATING CONTENT HAVING MODIFIED PACKET HEADERS THROUGH A SATELLITE

• US 20090028087A1
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: NGUYEN, DIEM V., MUNSELL, MICHAEL R., RILEY, XAVIER D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,964,734 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/185 Space-based or airborne stations; Stations for satellite systemsH04B7/204 takes precedence

Abstract

A communication system 100 includes a content management system 221 determining a programming schedule and a video transport processing system 223 receiving a content file in forming a transport stream from the content file having a plurality of packets, each having a header with a first packet identifier in the header and a data portion. The communication system 100 further includes a content repository 274 storing the content in a satellite transport processing system 250 changing the first packet identifier to a second packet identifier in response to the programming schedule and communicating the transport stream to a user device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a programming schedule;

receiving a content file;

forming a transport stream from the content file having a plurality of packets each having a header with a first packet identifier in the header;

storing the content in a content repository;

in response to the programming schedule, changing the first packet identifier to a second packet identifier; and

communicating the transport stream to a user device.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining a programming schedule is performed at a content management system.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein forming a transport stream comprises forming an encrypted transport stream.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the header is unencrypted and the data portion is encrypted.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein forming a transport stream comprises forming an unencrypted transport stream.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising communicating the metadata to the user device.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first packet identifier comprises a service channel identifier.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein forming the transport stream comprises forming a header with a first cyclic redundancy check portion and in response to changing the first packet identifier comprises changing the first cyclic redundancy check portion to a second cyclic redundancy check portion.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the transport stream comprises communicating the transport stream through a satellite.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein forming the transport stream comprises forming a header with a program map table and prior to communicating the transport stream through the satellite removing the program map table.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the transport stream comprises video.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the transport stream comprises audio.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the transport stream comprises audio and video.

35. A communication system as recited in claim 1 wherein the transport stream comprises audio.

36. A communication system as recited in claim 1 wherein the transport stream comprises audio and video.

14. A method comprising:

communicating scheduling and delivery information from a content management system at a content distribution system;

forming a transport stream from the content file having a plurality of packets each having a header with a first packet identifier, a first cyclic redundancy and a map;

storing the transport stream in a content repository;

at a scheduled airtime, communicating a start broadcast message from the content management system to the transport processing system;

changing the first packet identifier of the plurality of packets of the transport stream to a broadcast packet identifier;

changing the first cyclic redundancy check of the plurality of packets of the transport stream to a second redundancy check;

removing the map from the headers of the plurality of packets of the content stream; and

communicating the content stream to the user device.

15. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein the map comprises a program map table.

16. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein the broadcast packet identifier comprises a service channel identifier.

17. A method as recited in claim 14 further comprising forming the scheduling and delivery information at the content management system.

18. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein forming a transport stream comprises forming an encrypted transport stream.

19. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein forming a transport stream comprises forming an unencrypted transport stream.

20. A method as recited in claim 14 further comprising communicating the metadata to the user device.

21. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein the first packet identifier comprises a PID.

22. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein communicating the content stream comprises communicating the content stream to the user device through a satellite.

23. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein the transport stream comprises video.

24. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein the transport stream comprises audio.

25. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein the transport stream comprises audio and video.

26. A communication system comprising:

a content management system determining a programming schedule;

a video transport processing system receiving a content file and forming a transport stream from the content file having a plurality of packets each having a header with a first packet identifier in the header and a data portion;

a content repository storing the content; and

a satellite transport processing system, changing the first packet identifier to a second packet identifier in response to the programming schedule and communicating the transport stream to a user device.

27. A communication system as recited in claim 26 wherein the transport stream comprises an encrypted transport stream.

28. A communication system as recited in claim 26 wherein the header is unencrypted and the data portion is encrypted.

29. A communication system as recited in claim 26 wherein the transport stream comprises an unencrypted transport stream.

30. A communication system as recited in claim 26 wherein the first packet identifier comprises a service channel identifier.

31. A communication system as recited in claim 26 wherein the transport stream comprises a first cyclic redundancy check portion and wherein the satellite transport processing system, in response to changing the first packet identifier, changes the first cyclic redundancy check portion to a second cyclic redundancy check portion.

32. A communication system as recited in claim 26 wherein the satellite transport processing system communicates the content stream through a satellite.

33. A communication system as recited in claim 32 wherein the video transport processing system forms a header with a program map table and wherein the satellite video transport processing system, prior to communicating the transport stream through the satellite, removes the program map table.

34. A communication system as recited in claim 32 wherein the transport stream comprises video.